Grants and Contributions

The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are:
• To provide recognition and funding to academic researchers;
• To provide a reliable supply of highly skilled and qualified researchers.

The Project Grant program is expected to:

• Support a diverse portfolio of health-related research and knowledge translation proposals at any stage, from discovery to application, including commercialization;
• Promote relevant collaborations across disciplines, professions, and sectors; and
• Contribute to the creation and use of health-related knowledge.

The objectives of Stream 1 are:
•Accelerate rapid research on SARS-CoV-2 variants in Canada to contribute to the national and global efforts to address SARS-CoV-2 variants; and
•Generate timely evidence on SARS-CoV-2 variants that will show impact within 3-6 months and is relevant to biological, clinical, health system, and public health strategies.

Stream 1 applicants are strongly encouraged to consider maximizing impact by outlining how they intend to participate in:
1.The formation of a network (Stream 2) or participating in a network formed by another NPA (Stream 2); and,
2.The CIHR Network for Emerging Variants Research once established.

The objectives of Stream 1 are:
•Accelerate rapid research on SARS-CoV-2 variants in Canada to contribute to the national and global efforts to address SARS-CoV-2 variants; and
•Generate timely evidence on SARS-CoV-2 variants that will show impact within 3-6 months and is relevant to biological, clinical, health system, and public health strategies.

Stream 1 applicants are strongly encouraged to consider maximizing impact by outlining how they intend to participate in:
1.The formation of a network (Stream 2) or participating in a network formed by another NPA (Stream 2); and,
2.The CIHR Network for Emerging Variants Research once established.

The objective is to invest in targeted COVID priority research areas from the Fall 2020 Project Grant competition such as vaccine hesitancy, pregnant women and children, racialized populations, Indigenous, confidence in science and SARS-CoV-2 variants.

• Incorporating sex and gender into health research makes for better science that is more rigorous and more applicable to the needs of everybody. The Institute of Gender and Health (IGH) will provide bridge funding for applications that are relevant to its mandate:
o CIHR-IGH mandate is to foster research excellence regarding the influence of sex and gender on health and to apply these findings to identify and address pressing health challenges facing men, women, girls, boys and gender-diverse people.
• These one (1) year operating grants afford Principal Investigators an opportunity to resubmit their research proposal without the loss of momentum, staff, or trainees.

The objective of Stream 2 is to:
•Establish interdisciplinary networks that contribute to the rapid response, understanding, and coordination of SARS-CoV-2 variants research.

Stream 2 applicants are strongly encouraged to consider maximizing impact by ensuring that the networks are inclusive of research from across pillars/research areas. Applicants are also expected to ensure that the network has appropriate and diverse representation within the team (see equity, diversity, and inclusion expectations below).

The networks formed through Stream 2 are expected to build the foundation of the CIHR Network for Emerging Variants Research.

Please note that Stream 2 NPAs interested in forming a network are strongly encouraged to indicate their intent to do so and area(s) of focus through CIHR’s linkage tool. Stream 2 NPA’s are also encouraged to use the linkage tool to collaborate with researchers interested in participating in networks (including those not funded through CIHR COVID-19 competitions).

CIHR is committed to promoting the inclusion and advancement of groups underrepresented in science as one of the means to enhance excellence in research, training and knowledge translation. CIHR’s position on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is available in the Tri Agency Statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Stream 2 applications must clearly describe the research team’s commitment to engaging a diversity of members, in particular related to how they will address team composition and recruitment processes; research environment; training activities; and/or knowledge translation activities, as applicable. Additional guidance can be found on the Best practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research webpage.

When completing the application, applicants must protect the privacy and confidentiality of all team members. How an individual self-identifies is personal and confidential information, which should not be disclosed without consent.

Note: Successful Stream 1 and Stream 2 applicants will be connected to a surveillance network that will coordinate access to the repository of variants as available and as required.

The objectives of Stream 1 are:
•Accelerate rapid research on SARS-CoV-2 variants in Canada to contribute to the national and global efforts to address SARS-CoV-2 variants; and
•Generate timely evidence on SARS-CoV-2 variants that will show impact within 3-6 months and is relevant to biological, clinical, health system, and public health strategies.

Stream 1 applicants are strongly encouraged to consider maximizing impact by outlining how they intend to participate in:
1.The formation of a network (Stream 2) or participating in a network formed by another NPA (Stream 2); and,
2.The CIHR Network for Emerging Variants Research once established.

The objectives of Stream 1 are:
•Accelerate rapid research on SARS-CoV-2 variants in Canada to contribute to the national and global efforts to address SARS-CoV-2 variants; and
•Generate timely evidence on SARS-CoV-2 variants that will show impact within 3-6 months and is relevant to biological, clinical, health system, and public health strategies.

Stream 1 applicants are strongly encouraged to consider maximizing impact by outlining how they intend to participate in:
1.The formation of a network (Stream 2) or participating in a network formed by another NPA (Stream 2); and,
2.The CIHR Network for Emerging Variants Research once established.

The Project Grant program is expected to:

• Support a diverse portfolio of health-related research and knowledge translation proposals at any stage, from discovery to application, including commercialization;
• Promote relevant collaborations across disciplines, professions, and sectors; and
• Contribute to the creation and use of health-related knowledge.